Morning journal and courier., 1887-09-19
New York,s Nervousness.

Amos J. Cummings in the Philadelphia Press l
 Wall street is the center of New York nervousness. Watch the men who frequent thoroughfare as if pursued by somebody. Jay Gould and even staid old Russell Sage step along with a springy gait, outwalking the messenger boys, who are about the only deliberate persons seen on the street. On the Stock Exchange every man is constantly on the move, and it is this desire for perpet- ual action which leads members to snatch off each others hats and engage in all manner of horse play, such as stufing bits of pa- per down each others backs aud similar movements of an undignifed nature.
 The typical old keeper of hotel used to be a man of slow movements and great delibera- tion, but there is ill New York but one of this old school, and he is Landlord Ashman, of the Sinclair House. Frank Allen of the Astor House, Edward Vernam of the Mor- ton House and Edward Stokes of the Hoff- man House are examples of the restless mod ern landlord. Mir. Stokes is perhaps the most nervous man in New York. There is 8 legend to the effect that he is never known to sit still for more than five minutes at time. Next to him in the line of nervous
 
 Go. The salesman who sells him a bill of goods must follow him he paces the floor or perhaps pursue him up stairs into the up- per story departments of the house.
 The Vanderbilt boys, with the exception of the poetic George, are early risers, rapid walkers and nervous in their movements. Chauncey M. Depew rushes into his office like hurricane early in the morning, and is constantly on the move until he gets home in the evening. Go into any of the resorts where prominent New Workers eat their luncheons and you will be at once impressed with the fact of their nervous temperament. The brothers of Robert Bonner take their midday meal daily at the Astor House. The moment they drop into their seats we'll trained waiter rushes out to the carving table and orders their luncheon, with the supplies mentary remark: ''It is for the Messrs. Bonner, hurry it up!" Robert Bonner him- self is man of slow movement as compared with other New York editors. Stick a pin in him and he would probably turn about with the calmness peculiar to the old school of New Workers and ask what you meant. Try the same experiment with James Gordon Bennett and he would wheel about and offer to give you battle on the spot. Resort to the same artifce with Joseph Pulitzer and he would spring up with rage, turn upon you and probably knock you out in a jiffy. He is the most nervous of all New York jour- nalists and walks rapidly, with his broad shoulders thrown we'll back
 The best field for the study of the prover- bial nervousness of New York is Broadway. Watch stranger attempt to cross the thor oughfare and you will see him hesitate, wait long time, and finally try to cross the street with his accustomed deliberate gait. New Yorker, on the other hand, makes a dive into the surging procession of vehicles, darts almost under the feet of an up-going team, dashes in front of a down-bound car escapes being run over by hairs breadth, and is across in jiffy. Observe the drivers of trucks and street cars on Broadway and you will see that they are affected with the same restless spirit. Generally speaking it is impossible to accelerate the tide of travel on the crowded Broadway street, but the truck drivers yell at drivers ahead of them, urge them to hurry on, and curse in a man. ner that would fill the heart of a canal boat- man with envy. The street-car drivers keep shrill whistles in their mouths, and blow them with constant screech of warning to drivers ahead of them to hurry up.
 All this intense nervousness seems to have affected the reflective literary men of the metropolis, and you will scarcely find one who is not spare in build and restless in movement. This was particularly noticeable at the reception some weeks ago to Walt Whitman, at which the only perfectly com posed and restful parsonage was Walt Whit. man himself.